Glossary of Indian
Food & Cooking Terms

The list of Indian Food Terms can be exhaustive, since there are 15
official languages in India and 1568 dialects. We have put together a list
of food names that are widely recognized and commonly used in Indian
cooking. These are mostly in "Hindi" which is India’s national
language, except for a few. " *"

This glossary of Indian food terms will make
it easier for you to decipher what the recipe is all about. Knowing what
the Indian food terms mean will help you visualize the recipe and almost
taste it. Hoping too that this list will make it easier for to order your
favorite Indian dishes at an Indian restaurant!

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ingredient is called in another Indian Language ....... Click Here
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Aachar: Indian Pickles are mainly made with vegetables and
fruits like mango, lime, green chilies etc. Made mostly during the
summer in India, they are a spicy and delightful addition to the
Indian meal. One has to get aquatinted with the strong flavors of
most pickles, so do try one. Some of the brands of pickles to look
for are "Bedekar Pickles" and "Nirav pickles".
Top

Appam *: Wafer thin, round and flat. They are usually made
out of rice, potato and/or various lentil flours. Top

Baghar or
Tadka or Chounk:
Spices
and herbs are added one at a time to hot oil and this tempering is
either done as the first step in the cooking process, before adding
the vegetables for example, or as the last, pouring the tempered oil
over a cooked dish. The oil extracts and retains all the sharp
flavours of the spices and flavors the entire dish. Top

Balchaoas in the goan recipe Prawn Balchao where the shrimp
is marinated in a brine sauce.A
Goan speciality where vegetables like aubergines or seafood like
prawns are "pickled" in sugar, vinegar and spices for a
day or two before eating. Top

Bhunao
or Bhuna is to saute or stir-fry. Usually
onions, tomatoes, ginger, garlic and green chillies are fried in
oil, but to make sure that this doesn’t stick, burn or cook
unevenly, a small amount of liquid is added, repeatedly. After the
oil separates from the mixture, the main ingredient (meat or
vegetable) is added and cooked. Top

BukharaDumPukht cuisine in India is over 200 years old. When Nawab
Asaf-ud-Daulah was building the Bara Imambara during the famine of
1784 to provide work for his starving people, huge quantities of
food was cooked in large vessels, degs, in massive double-walled
ovens called bukharis. He tasted the food one night and loved it so
much that bukhari cooking was incorporated into the royal court.
Top

Barfi
*: A dessert made from milk that has been cooked slowly and reduced
to a fudge-like consistency. This sweet is flavored with either
saffron, vanilla essence, cocoa, rose water, etc. Sometimes nuts and
fresh coconut is added. Eaten and served in bite sized pieces
"Barfi" is a very popular after dinner dessert. Just like
bringing a bottle fine wine when you visit someone for the first
time, a decorative box filled with different kinds of
"Barfi" is a traditional gift in India. Top

Basmati
rice: Basmati rice is authentic Indian long grained white rice,
which has unique nutty flavor. Basmati rice is very popular in India
and all over the world. A wide variety of rice dishes are made with
Basmati rice. They are: plain steamed rice, pulaos, pilafs, biryanis
or just different types of fried rice – which include meat,
vegetables, nuts, and even fruits sometimes. Gourmet cooks prefer to
use Basmati rice for its fragrant flavor. Special occasion rice
dishes are mostly made with Basmati rice. Top

Bhel
Puri: One of Bombay’s favorite snack’s. It is a mixture of
puffed rice, "sev", "puri", lentils, finely
chopped onions, chopped coriander topped with two kinds of chutneys;
one is the sweet tamarind date chutney and the other is the spicy
onion chili chutney. Top

Bharta:
A spicy vegetable dish, with a pulp like consistency. Originally a
muslim dish which is served with a Khichadi or Pulao. A commonly
made bharta is a "baingan (eggplant) bharta. Top

Bondas
or Vadas : Round deep fried savory snack made in different varieties usually
from lentils, potatoes etc. eaten with a chutney. Top

Biryani:
Elaborate dish made from spiced saffron rice cooked with pieces of
lamb, chicken or vegetables. It is usually made on special occasions
since it takes a long time to make a biryani, but it is surely worth
the effort. It always tastes better the next day since the spices
marinate and flavor the meat and rice. Top

Curry:
To the Indians, the term curry means gravy or sauce, Curries are
what made Indian cuisine famous all over the world, the most famous
of all is the Chicken Curry. Residents of the rest of the world,
however, have come to think of "curry" as simply a thick
creamy yellow sauce or any dish seasoned with a curry-powder blend,
whether it has a sauce or not. An authentic Indian curry is an
intricate combination of a stir-fried wet masala (mixture of onion,
garlic, ginger, and tomatoes), various spices and seasonings with
which meat, poultry, vegetables or fish is prepared to produce a
stew-type dish.Top

Daal:
Daal is an Indian word, which includes dried peas, beans, and
lentils which are red, yellow orange, or pink, plus split peas and
other legumes. Daal can also be used to describe a soup like dish
prepared with lentils. Daals are the primary source of protein in a
vegetarian diet. Daals are cooked whole or pureed, depending on the
dish. Ground powdered daal is used in unleavened breads and
crackers, and even in spice mixtures.Top

Dum:
A way to steam foods in a pot with a tightly covered lid or a sealed
pot. A popular spiced vegetable dish is "Dum Aloo". In the
olden days, the utensil was sealed with atta (dough) to capture the
moisture within the food as it cooked slowly over a charcoal fire.
Some coal was placed on the lid to ensure even cooking. The food
continued to cook in its own steam, retaining all its flavour and
aroma. Dum means, "to steam" or "mature" a dish.
Top

Do
Pyaza: A mildly flavored creamy dish made with onions; usually
twice cooked onions with meat. Do-Piaza Mullah Do-Piaza, all
children in India are told, was the legendary cook at Akbar’s
court. One of the navratnas , it is said he could conjour up
culinary delights using only two onions. For example mutton cooked
in that particular style is called Ghosht do piaza.Top

Dosa*:
A popular delicacy from southern India made from rice and "urad"
daal. They are usually made very thin and pancake-like and sometimes
filled with a spiced potato mixture. Served with chutney and "sambar".Top

Ekuri
*: Indian version of scrambled eggs, which obviously means the
addition of onions and spices. Delicious with a hot Paratha.

Feni
*: The Goan drink made from cashews or coconut is the perfect beach
drink. It was originally a very basic and local drink, much like
toddy; recently it has been commercialized.Top

Halva:
Indian sweet made from a variety of …….believe it or not…
finely grated vegetables, milk, sugar and flavored with cardamom.
The consistency is that of a thick pudding. Among the popular halvas
are the "Gajar Halva" and "Doodhi Halva".Top

Idli
*: Steamed rice cakes. A very popular snack from the south of India.
Generally eaten with "sambar" and "chutney".Top

Jalebi:
These orange sweet crisp round whirls, made from plain flour and
water deep fried and then dipped in sugar syrup make a favorite
Indian dessert.Top

Kachumber: Indian salad usually made with cucumber, tomatoes,
and onions flavored with salt, sugar and lemon juice. As it goes
with any Indian dish the varieties can be endless.Top

Karanji
*: Pastries made out of whole-wheat flour and filled with a cooked
mixture of freshly grated coconut and sugar. It is a Maharashtrian
delicacy. Top

Kababs:
Marinated and spiced small pieces of any meat, poultry, fish, ground
meat, vegetables, skewered and grilled in a tandoor/oven or over a
grill. Kebabs can also be shallow fried over a pan. Top

Kalvan
*: Curry in Marathi ( an Indian language from the state of
Maharashtra) Top

Kheer:
Essentially a rice pudding, made with rice, milk and sugar flavored
with cardamom. Sometimes nuts are added. Served either hot or cold.
Top

Khichadi: Mildly spiced rice and daal preparation. Popularly
made when you want to eat a light meal, when suffering from a
stomach disorder since it is not only nutritive but can be easily
digested. Top

Khoya:
Also known as "mawa" is made by bringing milk to a boil in
a pot and stirring continuously thereafter on a low flame. It is
then reduced and thickened to the consistency of soft cream cheese.
Used widely in the making of many Indian desserts and sweet meats.Top

Kulcha:
Flatbread often stuffed with onion or potatoes and seasoned with
cilantro. Top

Kulfi:
Sweet, aromatic ice cream made from cream, milk, and sugar flavored
with mango, pistachios, saffron etc. Among the most popular are the
Mango Kulfi, Pista kulfi and the Malai Kulfi. Top

Lassi
: A tall cool drink made from yogurt and water and made either sweet
or salty. To be enjoyed with a fresh dollop of yogurt on top on a
hot summer day. Top

Masala:
Spices, herbs and other seasonings ground or pounded together. When
wet ingredients like water, vinegar, yogurt etc. are added to the
spice mixture it is appropriately called a "wet masala".
Dry spice mixtures are also called "Garam masala" or
commonly known in the world as "Curry powder". Indian
cooks generally don't use pre-prepared curry powder - originally a
British invention to approximate Indian seasoning - but prefer
making their own ever changing blends. Top

Masala
Dani: ( Masala Dabba*) : Spice box containing the commonly used
dry spices and is always kept near the cooking range for easy and
quick access. A spoon is included for ease of use.
Top

Modak:
Cone shaped dumplings made from rice flour filled with a cooked
mixture of freshly grated coconut and sugar. Made exclusively during
the festival of "Ganapati". Top

Paan:
Betel leaf stuffed with supari (betel nut), quick lime paste,
kathechu paste, gulukand (rose petal preserve), fennel seeds and
dried grated coconut. Paan is eaten usually after a meal and has
known to aid in digestion. Paan connoisseurs always add tobacco in
their paan. The paan is garnished with edible thin silver foil
called "Varak". Top

Pakoras:
Popular Indian crispy and spicy snack served usually hot out of the
frying pot along with coriander chutney. A popular tea time snack
served with Indian tea. Slices of different vegetables like
potatoes, onion, chilies, spinach leaves, eggplant etc dipped in a
batter made out of chickpea flour and a few dry spices and deep
fried. Top

Paratha:
Whole-wheat unleavened flatbread. It is sometimes filled with cooked
ground meat or a vegetable mixture. Slightly larger than a Chappati
and shallow fried to perfection. Top

Papad:
Thin wafer like discs about 4 to 8 nches in diameter made from a
variety of lentils, potato, shrimp, rice etc. The discs are deep
fried or dry roasted on an open flame and served as a crispy savory
appetizer. Served in many Indian restaurants complimentary before a
meal. Top

Pulao:
Delicately flavored rice, sautéed in ghee and flavored with whole
spices like cumin, cloves etc. Just like the Indian cuisine there
are many varieties of Pulao. Top

Puris:
Deep-fried whole-wheat flatbreads. They are usually around 4 inches
in diameter and puff up when deep-fried. Delicious when hot!
Top

Seekh
Kabab: The word "Seekh" in Hindi means skewer. Seekh
kabab simply means kababs on a skewer. Kababs are usually made out
of ground lamb mixed with various spices, cooked in a
"tandoor". Top

Sev:
Thin string-like fried snack preparation made out of gram flour.
Used in the preparation of "Sev puri" and "Bhel Puri"
or can be enjoyed just plain. Nowadays there are many spicy and
non-spicy varieties of "sev" available in specialty Indian
stores. Top

Tandoor:
The
traditional Indian clay oven is called the "Tandoor".
A Tandoor is a clay pot usually sunken neck deep in the ground.
Charcoal is put on the flat bottom of the pot. The heat
generated by the hot charcoal in and on the sides of the clay pot
is used for cooking. Long iron rods, long enough to reach the
bottom of the pot, are used in the cooking process.

It
is probably the most versatile kitchen equipment in the Indian
kitchen. Barbecues, breads, daal, gravies made in them acquire a
unique taste, very different from the food cooked on the regular
kitchen oven.

You
will not find "tandoors" in Indian homes /
kitchens today. Most use the gas or the electric oven.
Nowadays Tandoors are found mainly in restaurants, although a new
outdoor tandoor is available for the outdoors. Top

Tandoori
Murgh: This is the bright red world famous Tandoori
Chicken. Chicken marinated with spices, red color and yogurt, cooked
in a tandoor. Try making it as described in the cook book or at your
favorite Indian restaurant. Top

Upma:
Spiced semolina cooked with or without tiny cubed potatoes, peas,
and sometime shrimp and garnished with freshly grated coconut and
cilantro. Top

Varak:
Fine thin edible silver foil used to decorate or garnish Indian
desserts and "paan". It has been known to aid in
digestion. Top

Vindaloo: Meat usually pork is used to make this very spicy and
flavorful dish. Cooked in vinegar and typically served 2 to 3 days
after it is made. A great dish to make when entertaining as it can
be made ahead of time.Top